Mike Braun, a senator from Indiana, has announced his candidacy for governor in documents submitted to the secretary of state’s office on Tuesday.
After defeating former Sen. Joe Donnelly (D-Ind. ), Braun was elected to the Senate in 2018. AWN reported that Braun was considering a run for governor in September. He defeated former representatives Todd Rokita and Luke Messer in a contentious GOP primary six years ago.
Braun, a former executive of a distribution company who has long grumbled about the Senate’s pace, is better suited for an executive position, according to Indiana Republicans close to him. The end of his current term is 2024. He was one of a select handful of Republicans who backed Florida Senator Rick Scott in his earlier-this-month challenge to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.
Due to the interest shown in the position by both Reps. Victoria Spartz and Jim Banks, Braun’s choice may spark a competitive GOP Senate primary.
Eric Doden, a former Mike Pence appointee who has been campaigning for governor for months, will join Braun as candidates in the tough primary; Lt. Governor Suzanne Crouch is also anticipated to run.
Braun told me over the phone, “That filing did happen yesterday. We’ll be in touch with you later.
